You ignore all evidence that goes against your theology and just...

  1. 25,971 Posts.
    You ignore all evidence that goes against your theology and just assert your belief regardless. Can you not see that the word 'satan' had multiple references, even to god himself when he played the adversary (quotes provided)?

    Things are not as simple as you would like to believe.

    The serpent in the garden is described as a cunning or 'subtle' animal in the garden, punished for its role in the drama.

    Satan in the book of Job is a 'son of god' who comes to visit and play the adversarial role, which God is only too happy to engage.

    Judaism does not have satan in rebellion against God, but an angel playing its created role.

    And the word 'satan' may refer to those who take on that adversarial role.

    ''David, for instance, was described as a possible satan (adversary). In his attempt to flee from King Saul, David decided to go to the land of the Philistines, where Saul would certainly not follow him. David lived there for a year and 4 months (1 Samuel 27:7) under the employment of Achish, the Philistine king of Gath. But many of the Philistines feared and mistrusted David:
    1 Samuel 29:4-5
    But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him [Achish], and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man [David] go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary [l’satan] to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord?''


    The angel of YHWH said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary [l’satan], because your way was contrary to me. But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”
    Here the Angel of YHWH opposed the way Balaam was going. Clearly the Angel of YHWH was not Satan, he was merely an opposer or an adversary to Balaam.
    Satan is not only a noun (an opposer, an adversary), it also works as a verb (to oppose, to be adversarial).



    Baalzebub/Beelzebub/Beelzebul

    Many have heard the name Beelzabub/Beelzabul or Baalzebub, as the name of the Evil One, but this is also a title, meaning god or lord (ba’al) of the Flies (zebub). Essentially he was the god of dung, death and disease. In the Tanakh (Old Testament) this was the god of Ekron, a god of the Philistines.


    Satan: ADVERSARY is not a name – Hebrew Word Lessons
 
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